


Salt and Sand

by WolfyWordWeaver



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Ace!Sirius, Action/Adventure, Albus Dumbledore - Freeform, Alternate Universe - Gods & Goddesses, Alternate Universe - Mythology, Asexual Character, Asexual Relationship, Asexuality, Blood and Injury, Brotherly Love, Fabian Prewett - Freeform, Folklore, Friendship, Gen, Gideon Prewett - Freeform, Head Injury, Illnesses, M/M, Mentions of Death, Mentions of Drowning, Minor Character(s), Mythology - Freeform, Ocean, Peter Pettigrew - Freeform, Pirates, Platonic Relationships, Platonic Soulmates, Sailing, Scars, Sea Monsters, Sirens, asexual!Sirius, platonic James/Sirius, romantic Sirius/Remus
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-15
Updated: 2020-10-15
Packaged: 2021-03-07 15:49:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 16,384
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26850133
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WolfyWordWeaver/pseuds/WolfyWordWeaver
Summary: James Potter and Sirius Black have dedicated their lives to exploring the oceans and discovering the secrets of the mythological. When their journey leads them to the island of Sirens will they live to tell the tale?
Relationships: Sirius Black & James Potter, Sirius Black/Remus Lupin
Comments: 18
Kudos: 53
Collections: Harry Potter Ace Fest 2020





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Prompt No. 75  
> "Another pirate AU! You know that one tumblr post that's about an asexual pirate and a siren? Sirens offer whatever you want most, not just sex, but a siren being like "oh thank god you can't imagine what a breath of fresh air singing about pancakes is", bonus points for wolfstar or 100% platonic prongsfoot with aro/ace sirius."
> 
> This was supposed to be a quick and fun one-shot. As you can see, it is not quick, but hopefully it is still fun even with all the angst I couldn't help. Also, I'm a mythology junkie so I couldn't help but let my inner muses have fun with this prompt. I hope that I did it justice!

Dark waves lapped against the jagged rocks of the accursed island, warping the bright reflection of the setting moon into an indistinguishable blob. Golden eyes blinked wearily as the Dark Creature took in the sight of the coming dawn. It was beautiful and he smiled softly. This was one of the only joys he experienced anymore, and for the long minutes he was aware of nothing but the rainbow of color painting the sky and the soothing crash of waves. His mottled gold and bronze tail swung back and forth lazily in the ocean water, and his cheek felt numb against the coldness of the rock. 

Emotion welled in his chest and the being felt the trails of familiar salt water running down his face before plinking down into the rolling waves as fat pearls. One of his hands stretched out towards the sky and a desperate longing filled him again. What he would give for just one more minute feeling the wind blowing past him in frigid bursts and to hear the roar of the air currents instead of the waves.

"It'll be okay," a melodious voice comforted behind him.

"Sorry," he chuckled, wiping at his eyes and wincing at the tug on his scars. Even though the scars had been there for a very long time they always hurt. 

"It's okay, Remus," she sang before the soft sound of a splash followed. 

Dark crimson tendrils of hair spread across the water before the familiar face broke the surface. Green eyes were practically glowing in the sunrise and those pale lips offered the closest thing to a smile that they could manage these days. 

"How are you feeling?" he asked, reaching out one scarred hand to play with her hair. 

Her red-rimmed eyes informed him that she still wasn't sleeping well. It was that time of the year again and a hundred years of mortal time still wasn't enough to soothe her pain.

"I keep telling myself the same thing, you know. Day by day and maybe the gods will finally take pity on us. It's all I can do..."

The both of them had been on this island so long and each day now was a desperate fight not to fall into despair and sea foam. 

"It'll be okay, Lily," he replied softly, an echo of her earlier statement. 

Her iridescent scales shimmered in the golden light and a strong breeze continued to blow. His untamed mess of hair danced in the breeze and the Siren squinted against the light of the sun as he examined the horizon. There was a ship over there and he tried to stamp down the instincts that tickled at the edges of his consciousness and down in his throat. Those sailors had better be careful or they would be close enough to fall into the thrall of the Sirens' song. 

"If I have to sing the virtues of a hot, wet pussy one more time..." Lily grumbled.

"Or big cocks," Remus snorted in amusement. "Mortals are ridiculous."

"Maybe they'll keep out of reach."

Remus swallowed thickly. Maybe today was the day that their songs wouldn't be able to keep the Mortals in their thrall and death would sweep the two of them away. It might be a relief, even as frightening as the prospect was. 

"Oh no...I feel the currents shifting," he sighed before settling his head back on his crossed arms. The thick bronze tail waved back and forth across the surface of the water in agitation. "They'll probably be close enough by midday."

There was the familiar tickle in his throat, a compulsion to sing that had taken over them since the day they were cursed.

"I'm going to stay on the shore as long as I can," Lily sighed before dipping under the water again. 

Amber eyes watched as she rose from the crashing waves, pale limbs strong and scarred as she walked onto the land. More and more scales had begun to stick even on their land-legs and Remus wondered if they were doomed to slowly die regardless. His frown deepened as she swept her hair to the side to begin wringing it out. The largest of their scars burned an angry red in two slashes at their shoulder blades, thick and raised. It had been the deepest of the wounds, both physical and emotional. 

With a shaky sigh, Remus turned his attention away from her and back to the rock he was resting on. By now he seemed to know every crack and crevice; there were no more surprises in this land of Mortals. He began humming a melody as he waited.

*****

"This has got to be the stupidest idea we've ever come up with," Captain James Potter stated with a wide yet nervous grin.

First Mate Sirius Black winked at him as he continued pinching off clumps of beeswax and handing them out to the crew of _The_ _Marauders_. The men were all on edge and anxious as they warmed and formed the wax into ear plugs.

"Life would be a lot more boring if we hadn't been keen on taking stupid risks, Captain," he laughed.

His own rough hands were steady.

"It sure would," James sighed as looked out over the horizon. "We're definitely getting closer to _something_. I can feel it itching along my skin."

"That's just the scurvy," Sirius teased, wiping his hands on his breeches. There was almost a soft whistle to the wind now and he felt the hairs along his arms stand. "Uh, better get those ear plugs in!" He ordered and the crew hurried in their movements.

James took his arm and looked up into those storm grey eyes with an expression far more somber than usual. "I'll make sure that the ropes are knotted tightly, okay? They won't get you."

Wrapping his arms around the shorter man's waist, Sirius leaned down and nuzzled against the sweaty neck. "I know, James. I trust you completely."

Those strong arms wound tightly around him and squeezed back. Sirius grinned into his neck, enjoying the warmth between them. He and James had grown up together in the same port town and to merchant families of similar social standing. The two of them had grown close in their mischievousness and the town had suffered through the pranks for years before the two of them decided to run off and stowaway on one of the Black family's merchant vessels. 

It had been a lucky stroke of fortune that had seen that very same ship attacked by the pirate fleet of the feared Captain Rakepick. The young teens had found themselves fighting for their lives against the experienced pirate crew and then being taken as prisoners. Captain Patricia Rakepick had quickly grown amused and fond of the two of them and had decided to take them under her wing and teach them the ways of piracy. It had been an informative few years under her wing, but in the end they had parted with a somewhat tenuous understanding.

"Alright, scalywag, let's do this."

Sirius allowed himself to be led to the mast of the ship and leaned against it while James made sure his own ears were plugged properly. With that accomplished he proceeded to tied Sirius to the mast all while muttering about how stupid this idea was. Sirius just laughed and helped to make sure that he was secure, all the while smiling and letting James know that he was not changing his mind about this. 

Being the son of a family of merchants he had known about the myths of the Sirens for a long time. He used to spend hours poring over the old books in his family's library reading about all the different kinds of sea monsters and the different mythologies about the sea. Once he had actually gotten out into the sea, Sirius' obsession over discovering the truths of these mythologies infected his partner and they decided to be sea explorers. They had survived attacks by sea monsters, stolen artifacts from shifty pirates, and even accidentally summoned a demon off the coast of Madagascar. 

But here was the opportunity he'd been looking for. Researching, bribing, and testing had all led to finding this obscure route that sailors had been avoiding for generations but could no longer remember why. They were not too terribly far from Greece now, enjoying the blues of the Mediterranean sea and hoping to be the first people to survive an encounter with the fabled Sirens. 

A manic gleam sparkled in his silver eyes as he watched the roll of waves drawing them towards a hazy vision off on the starboard side. Sirius glanced over at the back of his partner and saw the familiar tension in those shoulders. He and James were masters of inciting each other into more dangerous ventures, but that didn't mean that they never worried about each other. 

Dark hairs prickled at the back of Sirius' neck and he felt his body strain forward as a faint sound caught on the roaring wind. The sails were full of breeze and _The Marauders_ was gliding through the water at a good clip while Captain Potter steered, but these familiar things took a muted tone and the sound that whispered into his ears grew more pronounced. 

**There is more that you can see**   
**If you come on over to me**   
**History of the gods and men**   
**These eyes have seen what was never put to pen**

Sirius took note of the strange sensations fluttering in his chest and down his torso. There was a pull somewhere behind his bellybutton, drawing him forward and a thrill ran through him. This was _magic_. And not just any magic, but a Siren's song! 

**Stories and tales that you will find**   
**Filled with wonder to blow your mind**   
**Answers to questions that burn your heart**   
**Celestial bodies and rhythms to chart**

He was straining in earnest at the ropes now, desperately trying to get a better look over the side of the ship. Were the Sirens in the water close by? Or were the voices carrying over the water? The musical sound was ethereal, and it also made him wonder if he was hearing one voice or more. They were magical beings so it was possible that their singing wasn't limited in the same ways that a Mortal's would be. 

**To know how deep the ocean can be**   
**How far you must sail to finally feel free**   
**The smells of spices from other lands**   
**How many grains in those mountains of sands**

The waves were getting a bit more choppy and Sirius could feel himself getting annoyed with James for not steering the ship closer over to that haze in the horizon. There was definitely a mist there and what good was being adventurers and explorers if you weren't going to push your risk to the edge? He shouted at James to get closer before he realized that the earplugs were doing their job and the Captain couldn't hear a word. 

Suddenly, there was a little pause in the song and Sirius heard an unfamiliar voice caught on the wind. 

"Thank fuck that I don't have to sing about another vagina."

The sailor's barking laughter echoed over the winds and the magic of the Siren song seemed to falter a bit.

"Oh, don't mind me!" he called out to the waves. "I'm just glad that I could provide you Sirens another topic to sing about! Why do you sing about vaginas so much?"

"Because we sing of the things that you Mortals most desire," the voice responded back after a moment. "After being on the sea for months at a time with little food and not much for carnal pleasure, your kind often desires the relief of sex."

"It'd be easier to talk if we didn't have to shout like this!" Sirius shot back. "I have so many questions!"

"Why don't you jump over the edge of the ship then?" came the silky reply.

"Because I'm tied to the mast so that I won't do that!" he barked out laughing. "We weren't that stupid!"

A loud splash that sounded different from the usual waves battering the keel made Sirius' hairs stand on end again. Something was close to the ship! It was probably the Siren! But he couldn't bloody well see if from his current position. 

"Well then, dear sailor, I'm sorry to say that you probably won't get the answers to your questions."

"Why not?!" he cried in protest, neck aching from trying his best to see at an impossible angle. 

"You've apparently done _some_ research on Sirens. Don't you know that if anyone sails past us without submitting to our calls that we will be turned into sea foam and cease to exist even in the afterlife?"

"What?!!!" 

"Yes, sailor. We cannot leave this place or have anyone who's heard our song sail away or we will perish."

"That fucking sucks!"

"It wouldn't be the worst thing that's happened to us, I suppose," the Siren sighed.

"Really? What was worse?"

"Jump into the water and I'll tell you."

Sirius began wiggling at the ropes. He and James had managed to work their way out of some pretty tough situation, but that just made it harder to break out of situations of their own doing. 

"I'm working on it! Why don't you give me something while I chew my way out of these ropes?"

A startled laugh carried over the breeze and danced along the harsh winds. It felt like a storm was stirring up. 

"Well, I'll tell you that there is a continent at the southern pole of this planet that was once a beautiful and tropical place. Off its trees hung fruit whose sweetness you could only dream of."

"What happened to it?" He and James had never sailed that far south because of how little was known about the area, although it was on their list.

"It's covered in ice now," the Siren replied melodically. 

He (or she?) wasn't even bothering to sing anymore, but the voice was still soothing and pleasant and Sirius was interested to note that he could still feel that magical pull in his gut.

"Why's it covered in snow?"

"The gods have been bickering and fighting over this world for eons. The ice was the result of a particular bout of jealousy from one of them towards the other. Maybe one day it will be released from its prison of ice once more."

Sirius froze as he saw James glance back at him and offered a shaky grin. James bit his lip nervously, but Sirius shook his head and the captain once more turned his attention towards the sailing. Immediately, Sirius got back to work on releasing himself.

"How are Sirens supposed to break free of their curse?" he shouted. Another splash from the side excited him and he continued to work eagerly to get out of the bindings. "Seems kind of pointless to curse someone without a way for them to break it!"

"The gods are not as kind or considerate as you seem to give them credit," the Siren laughed wryly. "Only a god can break this curse upon us and only if they feel like it. There can be no compulsion."

"James could do that!" Sirius replied excitedly. If there was anyone on this plane that could accomplish something as ludicrous as convincing a deity to break a curse out of the goodness of their heart, it would be James Potter. "And I could stay here with you so that you don't die!"

"...you sound rather...invested in this, sailor."

"Call me Sirius!" he chirped, too happy to care about the ache in his wrists as the rope bit through the skin.

"Do you often give your name to Dark Creatures, oh brightest star? That's a good way to lose your soul."

"Not often! Only when the situation calls for it. What's your name, by the way?"

"...this has been the strangest day of my existence..."

"That's a mouthful," Sirius snarked back.

"Fine. It's not like you could do anything nefarious with it. You may call me Remus."

Sirius felt a thrill race up his spine. He'd gotten the name of a real-life Siren.

James Potter kept humming songs as a way to be doubly sure that he wouldn't accidentally falling into a Siren's thrall. Sirius was already fully exposed and if he was to lose his sensibilities all would be lost. The crew was good, but what good was the whole rest of the crew if he and Sirius was drowning or being eaten alive by these water demons? Sirius was his soul mate, the life partner he had never thought he could have. 

Sure, he had known Sirius almost all of his life, but it had taken the two of them a long time to realize that they were perfect for each other. Sirius had never really been the type of guy interested in a wife and children or even fooling around with the girls or boys in their city - instead, he had always loved spending time with James and doing anything and everything together. Sometimes it had gotten annoying for James when he was trying to woo girls and sow his wild oats, but after their stowaway and piracy experiences, the young merchant heir realized that he loved being with Sirius more than anything else in the world. He would never get tired of talking to the brash young man and he was certain that trying to spend a night away from those arms would be near impossible. 

If Sirius ever jumped overboard, he would have to follow. The humming picked up in speed as he anxiously steered through the waves. There was a definite pull in the water towards the mist and haze, but he was sure that certain doom hid over there. Sirens needed the sailors to wreck their ship and avoid escape so his plan was to steer clear of that and hope that Sirius was still able to hear their songs. A small tight smile curled on his lips as he imagined that the conversations they would have after today would go on for a good long while. 

He'd feel so much safer once this quest was over and they could go back to something like hunting for sea monsters. It always felt better when the two of them were able to face something together rather than splitting apart like this. Sirius had looked tentatively excited when he last checked and he wondered if he should risk glancing back again. 

Fear of accidentally running aground of some nefarious rocks kept his eyes over the bow so when a hand grasped his shoulder James nearly leapt right out of his skin.

"Merlin's beard!" he yelped as he wheeled around to see a mischievous Sirius Black standing there with bloody wrists and a devil-may-care grin. "What the-"

"Trust me," Sirius said, and while James could thankfully hear nothing, he had long ago learned to read those full lips. Hands toughened from life at the sea and tending to the ship grasped James' and Sirius placed one set of clasped hands at his heart and the other against James' heart. "Trust me."

"What?" the captain whispered nervously. 

"Find a god or goddess and bring them here."

"Excuse me?!" Now James was doubting his lip reading skills. A god or goddess? Where was he supposed to find one of those and then convince them to come with him back to this place?! "What the fuck are you on about, Sirius?"

"Trust me," Sirius said again with all his confidence. "We're going to break a curse. Bring a god or goddess back here who will be willing to break a curse."

"A god or goddess. As in, creators of the universe?" 

He was hoping that Sirius would have a good laugh and correct him, but the damned fool just smiled and nodded.

"That's it, James. Get one and come back to me. Preferably before I die." Sirius' face softened as he took in the distress on his partner's face. "Trust me. This will work."

James did _not_ want to trust Sirius. Not when he was under the influence of a Siren's thrall, but a part of him argued that Sirius wasn't just jumping off the ship like someone being controlled would do. He didn't seem any different than normal, and in fact, his request was a rather normal Sirius response. He never shied away from doing dangerous things or taking chances and this was right up his alley. 

"Find a fucking deity. Okay, anything else you need, princess?"

The smile that stretched across those wind-chapped lips was almost blinding.

"Tell me that you love me," he responded in what James could only imagine was arrogance. He could tell from the tilt of the shoulders and hips and the way that the man's upper lip curled a bit. 

"I love you," James murmured, the fear probably evident in his voice. "You better be here when I come back with that god or goddess, okay? You know what I'll do if you're not."

"I won't have anywhere else to be," Sirius assured him. "And I'll be here. This is going to be great."

James pressed a quick kiss to the forehead of his life partner and watched the most difficult thing he had ever seen before. Sirius jumped over the edge of the ship in excitement and without a single worry splayed across his face. 


	2. Chapter 2

The look on Lily's face was probably the most priceless thing Remus had seen in centuries. 

"What the hell?!"

Sirius lit up and tightened his grip around the Siren's neck.

"Another one! How many of you are there?"

"There used to be many," Remus replied easily, "but now there are only us two."

"So far as we know," Lily added before shaking herself in disbelief. "You're supposed to drown him, Remus."

"Ah ha! So you drown people? Not eat them?"

Both Lily and Remus wrinkled their noses in disgust.

"No, we don't eat Mortals," Remus responded with a sigh. "And Lily, his ship mates are off to find a god or goddess that will break our curse. It didn't seem right to murder him." He glanced over his shoulder and winked at the Mortal. "And we usually just keep singing as long as the sailors swim and tread water. We don't exactly drown them ourselves."

"Remus has always talked too much," Lily stated flatly as she studied this new man. 

"It seems a pity not to answer their questions when they are so close to demise," Remus shot back. "Although, to be honest there haven't been that many Mortals with interesting questions."

"I've got all kinds of questions!" Sirius responded eagerly. "Why do you have so many scars?"

Both Sirens winced and although he felt badly about their reactions, Sirius didn't rescind the question. They could choose to answer or not, but he never took back an ask. 

"It's...partly from the curse."

Lily kept her lips pursed when her fellow Dark Creature responded and her sea green eyes looked off towards the horizon. Remus sighed softly and swam past her to get to the shore of a small and wild looking island. Sirius let go of the Siren and made the last bit of swim on his own, thankful that he hadn't needed to try to get past the dangerous reefs and rocks that had been between the ship and this island. Once on shore, Sirius settled down on the sand and watched as Remus bobbed on the tides for a little bit.

"Why don't you come sit on the sand with me? I've got loads more questions."

The adventurer's heart skipped a beat when he was rewarded with a cheeky grin before the Siren dipped under water and completely disappeared. Was that bastard going to abandon him now? Leave him to scrounge for water on this deserted island until James somehow made it back? And he somehow found the strength to swim all the way out to meet _The Marauders_? There was no way that a ship like that would be able to find this island with the treacherous maze of rocks.

Before he got too worried about the disappearance of the Siren, the tawny brown head popped up out of the water and Sirius was struck dumb as Remus walked up on the shore - with legs!

"You've got legs!" he squeaked in amazement. "Working legs!"

Remus grinned wolfishly down at the seated pirate. 

"That's the least complimenting comment I've received on these legs, I'll have you know."

Sirius examined them and nodded.

"They look like they could get you far. Do you ever swim with them?"

The Siren was laughing now and he relaxed as he sat next to the mortal. It was strange to be laughing again, and he felt a bubble of happiness in his chest. This Mortal wasn't caught in the common thrall of sexual desire that the Sirens seemed to exude to the Mortals, and honestly it was refreshing to not have some Mortal ask if there were any ways to fuck with a Siren. The truth was, yes, he and Lily could definitely fuck if they wanted to, but being cursed on an island with imminent death hanging over their heads had done a number on their libido. Sirius wasn't even gawking at his exposed genitals and was curiously looking into his eyes.

It was pretty damn refreshing.

"My tail shifts into legs when it comes into contact with earth, or sand in this case. So no, I don't swim with my legs. I can only manage kicking at the water if I'm seated at the edge of the shore."

"That's interesting. I wonder why? Oooh, James is just going to love hearing about all of this! How do you breathe underwater? _Do_ you breathe underwater?"

Remus pulled his legs up and tucked his chin on his knees, happy to answer as many questions as he could.

*****

"We don't have food here," Lily stated as she walked up from the ocean.

Sirius averted his eyes from her naked figure and she strutted past him while wringing out her hair. She was probably going to cut it again soon. Much like the tides that ebbed and flowed, she would cycle between letting it grow out as long as it could and then cutting it short just so that she wouldn't have to deal with it. 

"That's fine. James will get back long before I'm starved. Is there a good spot to collect water on this island?"

"There's no fresh water either," she shot back. "Your friend will not get back before you die."

"Ah, nonsense," Sirius chirped. "Here, let me show you."

Both Sirens stared in wide-eyed wonder as the Mortal got himself busy unpacking a small waterproof knapsack that he had strapped to his leg. He was able to pull out a canvas-like covering and proceeded to build a sort of tent with it and he angled it against the sun and sea a certain way that he informed them would be able to collect drinking water. With the scant vegetation on the island he was also able to build a small fire and used a husked out piece of wood to form into a kind of bowl that he filled with water.

"It's called distillation," he explained to them as he boiled the sea water and allowed it to collect on the cloth before the steam condensed against the cloth and dropped down into another crudely made container. "Here, try some."

Lily took a sip first and her eyes were wide in shock. "It's...fresh water!"

Remus took a greedy gulp of the liquid and moaned loudly. It had been so long since they had tasted anything but sand and sea water. Sirius just laughed and told them that they could make more. 

"It won't be a whole lot, mind you, but it'll be enough to keep me from dehydrating."

"You Mortals sure have grown cunning!" Lily complimented. 

Sirius grinned at her softening attitude towards him. "Thank you! After getting shipwrecked a few times, James and I learned to never be without a few basics."

"Tell us about these shipwrecks!" Remus asked excitedly. It wasn't often that they were able to ask questions of the sailors who were doomed to die, so he was desperate for new information. 

The young swashbuckler practically glowed as he began to tell stories about his misadventures with this James Potter. Their shipwrecks, their run in with sea monsters, and he even told them about growing up in the same port town with James and the trouble that they would make with their families and teachers. Lily and Remus laughed until they cried as he acted out certain scenes in the fading sunlight, pausing to explain new technologies and beliefs to them. 

As the stars came out, Sirius grew quiet and studied the stars with a soft smile on his face.

"My family is named after the stars," he muttered. "I'm Sirius and my brother is Regulus. The little king. He's probably as rich as one by now since I've been disowned. Poor kid probably doesn't even know what to do with it all. I wouldn't be surprised if the whole shipping business goes under with him at the helm." There was silence for a few moments while all three of them stared at the celestial bodies dance their way across the sky. "That's not true," he finally whispered again. "Regulus is smart and he'll do just fine. I just miss him."

Remus found himself reaching a hand out to comfort the Mortal and he was surprised when the gesture was accepted. Their fingers interlocked and he felt another little skip of his heartbeat. It was such a foreign feeling, but Remus had sung enough songs about love and lust to know a thing or two about what was going on. These were dangerous waters to be treading right now.

It wasn't long before amber eyes met green as the two Sirens glanced at each other over the sleeping body of the young Mortal. Things had changed very quickly and there was hope that maybe, just maybe, they could be free once more.


	3. Chapter 3

"Find a god or goddess, says he," James grumbled to himself as he strode down the gangplank towards the bustling port. "Like I could just go to the fucking shops for one, yeah? Bastard."

The whole crew had already given up their First Mate for dead and were walking tenuously around the Captain, certain that he was going mad from the grief. And James didn't blame them! He was searching for a fucking deity, for crying out loud! It couldn't get any crazier than that! Oh wait, it could. He had to not only find one, but he had to find one that was in a good mood and willing to help break the Siren Curse. Whatever that was. 

"I'm going to kill you after I fish your body out of the ocean," he hissed while pretending to choke Sirius in the middle of the gangplank. 

Yes, James realized that he wasn't helping in that whole looking-crazy department. 

So, back to the task at hand. He was going to look up that old coot, Dumbledore, and see if the man had any visions or anything that would be useful for this quest. He could bribe the old quack with some cakes from the Pettigrew Bakery to get his much needed answers more quickly. Peter would be thrilled to see his old friend, but James didn't have time to waste on a casual visit. It took days to get back to port from the Siren's lure spot and it would take days to get back. If he succeeded in finding even _one_ of those gods by the end of the day it would still be far too long away from Sirius. The risk of his being dead was unbearably high.

"Shit, shit, shit," he grumbled as he walked briskly through the cobbled streets and shoved up his spectacles. The damned things were always sliding down his nose. "Maybe he'll still have Trelawney? Was that her name? That stupid witch? Fuck, this is why I need Sirius. My memory's shite without him around."

As if there was only one reason he was itching to get back to his best friend. 

The past few days had been torture without his soul mate and James didn't want to imagine what would happen if there was no Sirius to be found at the end of his mad hunt. All he could stand to do was believe that all would work out and continue the quest with the same gusto he always did. Gold clinked heavily in his money bag and his eyes were automatically scanning the bustling crowds for pickpockets. In no time at all he was stepping through the heavy door of the bakery and struck by the cloud of yeasty aroma.

"Welcome to Pettigrew's Bakery!" a voice called out from the back. "I'll be a moment!" 

James dropped a coin on the counter as he reached over and helped himself to a thick slice of cheese and a hunk of cooling meat pie. He munched loudly on it while anxiously running his other hand through his salt-covered hair. A bath would be delightful but would have to wait until the next time he came to port with Sirius in tow. 

"Peter, hurry it up!" he finally shouted back when the baker still hadn't made an appearance a couple of minutes later. A crash of kettles and who knows what else was followed my a harried looking young man rushing out from the back.

"James!" he cried excitedly, his generous jowls covered in a copious amounts of flour. "Sorry, mate, I was trying to get this new recipe to...where's Sirius?"

The dark-haired man swallowed thickly and tapped on the counter with his chewed up nails. 

"I need some cakes to take over to Dumbledore. Do you know if he's still got that witch Sybill with him? Trelawney?"

"Uh, yeah, I think that he's still got her on in his shop. Why do you-"

"Look, I need cakes for him. For them! Anything!" The desperation was starting to well up in his chest. "I've got to get them to help me find a favor-granting god in short order. It'd save me a load of time if you happened to know about one."

Peter's head shook slowly. "I d-don't know about those gods or goddesses. Haven't heard of any walking around the Mortal realms lately. And we can't...we're not allowed to ask for...well, anyone to come back...you know...."

The baker's skin was a closer shade to the pallor of the flour and James tried to not get angry at his words. 

"He's not _dead_ , Peter. Not yet at least, but he will be if I don't bloody get a god or goddess soon!"

Their friend was nodding slowly again, and James got the impression that even his friend wasn't properly believing him. It wasn't Peter's fault - this whole thing sounded ridiculous! Even James himself didn't want to believe that such a quest was possible, but...but Sirius had asked this of him. If Sirius had asked him to climb up into the heavens and bring down the moon, James knew that he would die trying rather than disregard the request. 

"I'll get you the cakes," Peter muttered softly, placing a soft-skinned hand over the scarred and darkened one. 

"He's not dead, Peter," James whispered softly, pushing the spectacles back up and making himself hold back the childish tears that wanted to make themselves known. "And he asked me to do this, so I will."

"Of course. Dumbledore likes the lemon tarts and I'll add some of the Earl Grey hand cakes for Trelawney."

James nodded and pulled a couple more coins out of his bag to set on the counter. It would have been good form to go visit his parents as they had been getting on in age and might not be around for too much longer, but James didn't have any time to spare at all. He shoved the thoughts of inheritance and duty far down and was soon sweeping down the streets with his happily decorated box full of goodies. 

Dumbledore's Shop of Oddities and Treasures was near the center of the town, in an old dilapidated castle which had been reduced to only one wing consisting of a Great Hall and a few adjoining rooms. There were rumors that a portion of the dungeons were still intact, but James had never gotten the old coot to let him and Sirius take a peek down there. An ounce of truth to the whispers about stolen gold might be the reason for that, but James was sure that he'd get to see those moldy and wretched cells one day - gold or no gold. 

The familiar tinkle of silver bells announced his entry into the shop and James nodded to the old moth-eaten hat settled on the counter out of habit. The thing looked like it had a face buried in those heavy creases and he had always felt like he was being watched by it for any mischief. The air was heavy with the scent of incense and he wondered if that was an addition from Trelawney. Maybe she had gotten tired of the smell of mildew and disrepair? He wouldn't blame her, but maybe she went a bit too far in the other direction; his eyes were watering for Odin's sake!

_It's definitely not because the futility of this quest is sinking in._

"Hello there, Mr. Potter," the familiar silken voice greeted. James looked up from his weathered hands to see the old gentleman practically floating in his direction. 

The face under the snow white beard was almost youthful save for a few deep-set wrinkles around his eyes and on his forehead, but the cunning look in his twinkling blue eyes betrayed his true age. This was a man that had lived for a very long time and had seen many unbelievable things. Most people believed that he was nothing more than a harmless town quack, selling his snake oils and trussed up junk, but James and Sirius had their suspicions that this man might be something of a warlock. A crazy warlock perhaps, but still one that should not be trifled with.

Which was the only reason they hadn't already hog-tied him in his own robes and gone down to investigate the rumored dungeons already.

"Dumbledore, I've brought you some cakes," he introduced as he lifted the delicate box of pastries carefully. Making an offering to a warlock and his witch seemed like the appropriate thing to do when asking for something like the location of a god.

"How delightful! Where is your other half this fine afternoon?"

It was the first thing everyone seemed to notice about him, and James knew it was only fair. He and Sirius hadn't been separated since they were young teenagers, even going so far as to steal into each other's homes for the night many times. They were always James-and-Sirius. 

"We've gotten ourselves involved in another...situation, and I was hoping that maybe you or your witch could tell me there whereabouts of a friendly god or goddess who might deign to help a Mortal out."

The look of surprise on Dumbledore's face could not have been more stunning considering that the man never seemed surprised by anything the two ruffians brought to his attention. It was too bad that Sirius wasn't there to witness it. 

"A god or goddess?" he asked while rubbing at his ear, as if he was certain that he misheard.

"Yes, one that is friendly to a request from a Mortal. I need to find one as soon as possible. Preferably today."

Now Dumbledore was laughing.

"My boy!" he chuckled as he forced himself to calm down, "that's quite the request you have. May I ask what kind of cakes you brought as to entice me to help you with this?"

James held the box out and tried not to show his impatience. "Pettigrew cakes. Your favorites."

The slippered feet didn't make any noise as they shuffled over the dusty floor and towards the young explorer. "Whatever could you be looking for a god for? You know that they won't raise-"

"He's not dead!" James snapped angrily and almost desperately. "Look, I don't mean to be short, but this is kind of time-sensitive."

"Albus, stop teasing the young man," a woman chided from the doorway of one of the side rooms. "It's obvious he's distressed. Have some decorum, you old bastard."

James had never met this woman before and took in her appearance. She too had a youthful appearance, but her face was pinched in a far more stern look than Albus' ever had. She wore thin reading spectacles down low on her nose and had a severe dress that covered the entirety of her tall figure. The rich gold and crimson folds of her dress looked to be velvet and she had a leather glove over her left hand and a leather patch over her shoulder where a large owl sat quietly and studied him. Her greying red hair was wrapped up in a tight bun at the back of her head where it would presumably keep clear of the bird of prey perched on her shoulder.

"Forgive me, Minerva. You know how I am."

"That I do," she tutted before looking over her spectacles at the young man. "Mr. Potter, did he say?"

"Yes, milady," James replied back automatically, taking a polite bow. His parents had spent countless coins and tears trying to get some etiquette ingrained in his wild mind and it seemed like today it paid off. "James Fleamont Potter, of the Potter Family Merchants. I apologize for my tone, but the situation is dire and I am desperately in need of a lead. Is Trelawney here?"

"That mad woman is currently boozed out of her mind," Minerva sniffed.

"Isn't that what good witches do? I mean, like, doesn't that help with the visions or something?" He was truly desperate. "She's a seeing witch, isn't she, Dumbledore?"

"She does have the vision," the old man responded sagely while the woman laughed brashly. 

"Sybill couldn't see her way out of a wastebasket," she responded with a mean grin. "I'm afraid you won't find her of any use on your journey, young sailor."

James couldn't help the noise of frustration that bubbled out of him as he leaned on the counter and stared at the odd pointed hat. 

"Is there...Dumbledore...do _either_ of you have any advice for me? On where I can find a sympathetic god or goddess?"

The large owl ruffled its feathers for a moment as Minerva turned her attention to the beast. A long bony finger stroked at the smooth feathers and her eyes kept on the animal as she replied.

"Why don't you explain what you need from the god or goddess? It would be helpful to know which one of the many to direct you to."

"It's my..."

How could he accurately describe Sirius to a stranger? Everyone who knew them could instantly see that they were meant to be together and that they shared a soul. You didn't have to even know them. Strangers seeing them walk side-by-side down the street or sitting in the Crow's Nest just knew that they belonged to each other - it was as irrefutable a fact as the sun shining during the day. 

"Go on, child," she encouraged softly, still not looking at him. The golden eyes of the owl stared intently at him instead. 

"It's Sirius. He's the other half of my soul, my life's partner. We've been traveling and exploring together and have overcome many obstacles. He's gotten involved with the Sirens, milady, and asked that I bring him back a god or goddess that would be willing to help them. I don't know what their curse is or what must be done to break it. I've never even seen one or heard their song. All I know is what Sirius asked me to do."

"That's quite an impossible task for a Mortal," she stated sternly. "He should not have asked you such a thing."

"I'm sorry, but to me it doesn't matter if what he's asked is impossible or not. He knows me like I know him and I know he would never ask me to do something that he didn't think I could accomplish. Yes, finding a god or goddess in this day and age seems mad, but he asked me to trust him and I intend to do that. Had he asked me to climb Olympus and steal one of Zeus' thunderbolts I would have done that too."

"And why is that, young Mortal?" she asked, now looking at him again. 

Dumbledore remained silent and contentedly chewed on a lemon tart while the other two went back and forth.

James squared himself as he stared at her with determination. "Because he asked me to, milady. I love Sirius, and would do anything for him."

"Very interesting," Minerva purred, her eyes glittering behind the spectacles.


	4. Chapter 4

"You're being stupid."

Remus looked up from the pearls he was trying to stack on the wet morning sand to see Lily staring down at him with her large sad eyes.

"Good morning to you as well," he huffed before going back to the game. He scratched insistently at the irritated scales sprouting from his human thigh and winced as it began to bleed.

"I'm not joking, Remus. I don't really believe that the Mortal's friend is coming back, and I'm scared that if you keep this up you'll be joining that Mortal down in the realm of Davy Jones."

Remus wanted to play dumb, but he and Lily had been through enough already. She didn't deserve that from him right now.

"It's not like I'm trying to do it on purpose."

"You can swear off the feelings," she pressed as she crouched down next to him. "It would be safer that way."

He snorted in annoyance.

"Like you did? Yes, that went so well, Lily." She flinched and Remus felt badly all over again. "I'm...sorry."

"I did that for you," she whispered, staring down at her knobby knees. "It would have been easier to fade away into sea foam than it is to be here day after day but I did it so that you wouldn't have to be alone."

The were silent for a few moment, listening to the soft crash of waves and the scuttle of early morning creatures.

"I know you did," he finally responded with a sigh. It hurt even thinking about that time. "And I'm not trying to leave you."

"Then why don't you swear it off?" she begged. "It's only a bit of a blood sacrifice and you'll be protected."

Remus looked back down at the dark sand and dragged his fingers through the damp grit. It was a good question and if it had been a year ago, 50 years ago, or 100 years ago maybe he would have had a different answer. Maybe he would have done the sacrifice already and be as numb as Lily had been since she had done it. 

"Did you only do it for me?" he whispered.

She took her time before responding.

"No." The crash of the waves was picking up and they knew that soon the sun would be peeking happily over the horizon. "I also did it because I was scared. I was scared that even though I knew he would return my love one day soon he would die and I would have a broken heart. He couldn't have survived long...and he didn't."

Remus thought back to the dark-haired pirate that had somehow managed to survive his ship's wreck along the maze of rocks and reef and had washed ashore their island. He had not been much to look at, but was intelligent and full of hopes and dreams. Even so, he was filled even more with hate, fear, and so much hurt. Mortals didn't typically last long on the Siren's island and in the end Remus had taken him out into the ocean in a mercy killing. Death by dehydration was a cruel one and even though Lily had sworn off her feelings for the man, Remus hadn't wanted her to watch someone she had fallen in love with die that way. 

A small smile curled on his lips as he thought of Sirius. There wasn't any food to eat on the island, but the explorer had found a way to survive and produce fresh water. The reef that had wrecked many great boats was a dead one, sharp and cold and none of the waters around them offered anything that would have been nourishing. Even the life on the island was made of tiny creatures that wouldn't offer any sustenance. Still, even after almost a week, Sirius would smile and tell stories and ask questions. He was nothing like the other man.

"It's different with him than it was with Severus, Lily. He'll live longer and he has full expectation of the curse being broken."

"His Mortal friend is not coming back!" she hissed angrily. "And you only want to believe that because you want to pretend that there can be something between the two of you! There can't be! If he breaks your heart, you will die anyway and leave me stranded here alone until the gods take mercy and wipe me from existence!"

"You don't want to believe that anything can happen between us because it didn't happen for you!" he shot back in frustration.

Pearls plinked to the sand softly as her tears fell. She looked away angrily and wrapped her scarred arms around her legs.

"I loved him, Remus, and it's not fair of you to talk that way."

"You're scared, Lily, and that's the only reason _you're_ talking this way." He knocked down his little tower of pearls and watched them slide close to the pearls from her tears. "I know that we swore to do what it took to stick together and I still intend to do that. I just...there's something about this Mortal that I trust. He has such an unshakable faith in his friend and I can't help but feel it in my hollow chest as well."

"And what will happen when this friend comes, Remus? You can't believe that they are just friends; they sound like lovers with the way he talks! There will be no room for you in his life and as soon as you realize that your heart will break and you will be gone from existence. I don't want that to happen to you."

This was the only area in which Remus was uncertain. Just because he could sing about the deepest desires of Sirius' heart didn't mean that he could actually read the Mortal's thoughts and emotions. The songs that came on were more of a compulsion, something that he couldn't control. The feelings that rippled through his body the moment that man leapt fearlessly over the edge of the ship and into the choppy water was something that he couldn't control either unless he went the route Lily suggested. It was one of the only graces they had been offered by Demeter - an opportunity to avoid the fate of becoming sea foam when their heart was broken. 

If he took that opportunity, he would grow cold and numb. It had been painful to watch Lily transform that way, to see how even now it affected her. Did he want to go through the rest of his existence, as short as it might be, feeling nothing but the emptiness of sorrow and detachment? He was certain that even now the affection that Lily had for him was more based in habit and fear of being alone than it did in actual feelings towards him. It was impossible to spend centuries suffering together and not form attachments.

This isolation also meant that he wasn't exactly practiced at reading Mortals and guessing their feelings. Back when he was still free to roam he had been so caught up in trying to explore the whole world and understand everything that he hadn't bothered with connecting with others or trying to figure out his own feelings. He had always assumed that he would have all the time in the world to discover romance and love. They were different from the Mortals, made to soar above them in all ways. He had been arrogant and thought himself better than them.

And centuries later it had taken misty grey eyes and wavy black hair pulled back with a worn kerchief to shock his heart with a burst of that unfamiliar feeling. The young fool had whooped excitedly in the dangerous water and had swum straight up to Remus with no fear and properly introduced himself. It was the most attractive thing Remus had ever seen. 

He hadn't been able to keep his eyes off the charismatic man, peeking under wet bangs when Sirius would disrobe to hang his wet clothes to dry. These past couple of days Sirius had decided to forgo clothes altogether when he would go out to swim with them and Remus couldn't ignore how aesthetically pleasing the Mortal looked. Even more addicting was how he would feel when they touched. Their hands brushing together under the water was enough to send Remus' heart racing, and he would never bore of hearing stories from that beautiful mouth.

"It could be different," he whispered again, more for his own sake than Lily's. 

*****

Sirius blinked awake slowly and smacked his lips; they were dry and his throat was itchy. It was his least favorite part of being stranded on an island with Sirens, the whole death by starvation and dehydration. Sitting up stiffly, the young adventurer glanced over at the meager supply of water collected overnight. It was enough to keep him alive, but just barely, especially when he shared it with the other two. The Sirens obviously had no need to drink the freshwater for their survival, but he always felt bad watching their wide and eager eyes when he took a drink. They missed the taste and it reminded them of their lives centuries and maybe eons ago. Neither of them had bothered keeping accurate records of the length of their punishment. He vaguely wondered if they would enjoy tasting food just as much. 

Living on nothing but the taste of saltwater seemed to be an excessive punishment. What could they have done to warrant such a thing? It was one of the few things that neither Remus or Lily would tell him about. They had so many stories to share, but this was not one for him and he wondered if he would ever learn the real reason that they were here. 

He placed a dry hand against his aching head and wondered when James would get back. There was no doubt in his head that James Potter was doing his damnest to fulfill the request, but after a week he wondered if maybe he had been too optimistic about the completion of such a task. Finding a god or goddess wasn't like going to the market and purchasing spices, and even if he could find one, what were the chances of finding one who would be willing to help out the Sirens? None of the gods or goddesses had bothered with them thus far, so why would they care just because a human asked them too? Maybe there was a certain sacrifice that James could do to force them to? But that wouldn't help. They needed a willing helper. 

Rough-skinned fingers trailed lightly over his side and Sirius shivered in delight. 

"You've been losing weight," Remus stated flatly.

"Yeah, it happens." Grey eyes glanced back and took in the glow of the golden ones. "You doing okay, Remus?"

An amused grin tugged at one side of the Siren's lips and Sirius watched in fascination as the net of scars on that handsome face pulled and tugged to accommodate the expression. 

"You're the one starving, Mortal. Why ask about a Siren that has existed since near the dawn of time?"

Warmth from the morning sun kissed the exposed human skin, already darkened from so much sun exposure. 

"Because you're the poor bugger who's been stuck here for a good portion of it," Sirius replied with a grin of his own. His throat was a bit scratchy and he didn't know if he'd be able to tell stories all day long like he had been. "Anyways, it's just a look that you have on your face. I didn't mean to upset you or anything."

Those golden eyes were boring into him and Sirius felt his stomach flipping again. This wasn't a new sensation, but one that he never really cared to indulge in before. James was his soul mate and the most important person in his life and always would be. Other people didn't seem too keen on understanding that and living with it and when added with his revulsion for amorous affections that involved things below the waist Sirius had quickly learned that romance was not for him. 

And that was okay because he had been living just fine with James alone.

Now, he couldn't help but wonder if maybe things would be different with an Immortal. Or...Semi-Mortal? He wasn't exactly sure where Sirens landed on the spectrum of mortality. 

"Let me swim you out to the reefs today," Remus responded, as if his well-being had never been asked about. "It's dangerous, but beautiful."

It was also closer to where ships would pass if they were coming anywhere near this island. 

"Thanks," Sirius muttered before he lifted up his tin cup and swallowed down his morning ration of water. 

Distillation was quite a process and he didn't want to run out of wood for fires too quickly, so he always tried to leave that for the evenings and with metered out supplies. 

Taking care to tidy up the sparse living space, Sirius then moved on to finishing up his morning routine. His hair hated being cared for solely with salt water and he sadly wondered if it would be better to just hack it off now rather than endure the untangling that would be required if James stayed away too much longer. After that was all tended to, he twisted his hair up into a quick braid and disrobed so that he could follow the Dark Creature out into the sea. 

Remus was already lounging in the shallows, his glittering bronze tail lifting to break the surface of the water before dipping back down into the crystalline waves. He pushed himself further away from the warm sand as Sirius approached and the young Mortal followed him into the water with no fear or hesitation. The Siren lore ran through his mind again as he dived under the water and glanced around to see those mischievous golden eyes sparkling. 

Sirens lured sailors into the water. They sang enchanting songs and tempted with their sultry looks. They beckoned the sea-hardened men and women into the depths and then mercilessly took their lives. It was possible that these Sirens were bored and looking at killing him the long way. Maybe waiting until his guard was dropped and then they could hold him under until the sea water filled every corner of his lungs and his soul was claimed by the cold Davy Jones.

Death and water. The Sirens were always chained to death.

Hands took a firm grip of his arms and Sirius grinned at the creature floating before him. They were floating together, just a couple of feet above the sandy bottom, and it felt otherworldly. From the moment he decided to jump overboard, Sirius knew that he hadn't put up any guards towards the Sirens. He had opened his heart to Remus and decided to believe the words that the creature told him. And every moment after that, Sirius continued to choose to believe Remus and now Lily. Sirius chose to believe that James could break this curse and would out of love for him. 

Remus was looking at him strangely now, and Sirius couldn't help but feel the knot of emotion that had been wound tightly around his guts now loosening and spreading up through his chest. He gripped those scarred forearms and pulled the Siren closer to him, their noses almost touching. Grey eyes reluctantly pulled away from the gold only so that he could stare at those lips, wondering if Remus felt the same pull that he did. There was a burn aching in his lungs now from the need for air, but it seemed so much less important than this moment. 

A kiss didn't have to mean much. Just an acknowledgement that there was something there between them. 

And maybe it could mean so much more

Impulsiveness was a Sirius Black specialty and he gave into it once more, pressing his lips over the salty ones. The water surrounding them muted the sensations somewhat, but he could still feel the magical spark as their lips slid against each other. Taking a sharp breath in was a terrible mistake and the young Mortal began choking and coughing while his lungs screamed in protest. An arm wound around his waist and almost immediately Sirius felt his head break the surface of water while he coughed and sputtered messily. Remus easily held him above the water and watched in amusement while Sirius tried to force all the water out of his lungs.

"All better?" he finally asked with a grin tugging on those perfect lips.

"Shut it," Sirius croaked before chuckling and leaning his head against the tanned shoulder and continuing his shuddering breaths.

"That'll teach you to go around kissing sea creatures," Remus continued to tease.

"Well, you're more than just a creature of the sea," Sirius huffed back. "Maybe you want to continue that out of the water so that my risk of drowning reduces?"

It was a test now. Was Remus just humoring him? Or was Remus actually interested in him the way that he was interested in Remus?

Keeping one arm firmly wrapped around the Mortal's waist, Remus reached up with his other and allowed his fingers to push back sopping strands of ebony hair. He studied the Mortal's face, taking in all the little imperfections and remembering the stories shared with them.

_"This scar is from my mother," he had responded softly to the inquiry and pointing to the scar that sliced through his left eyebrow. "There are some things that even she can't forgive."_

The scratch of stubble against his worn fingers made Remus shiver. "It would only be polite to offer your delicate lungs a respite before I take your breath away again." A barking laugh rewarded the Siren's words and he smiled softly. "Let's go see the reef first before I take you back to the island and ravage you."

A wet kiss smacked between their lips as Sirius leaned in again. "I'm not known for my patience, Remus."

"It will be worth the wait~" Remus sang teasingly as he pulled Sirius along through the waves with him.


	5. Chapter 5

There had been many times in the midst of a quest that James Potter had sworn off sailing. The night spent fighting off the hungry Kraken came to mind as he was doused with another angry wave of sea water and struggled against the ship's wheel. Lightning tore the sky open further and the rain poured down more heavily, numbing his already straining arms. They had been battling this storm for days, but tonight was the worst. Most of the crew were hiding below deck and praying for protection while the Prewett twins, Benjy, and Caradoc fought with the sails and did everything they could do to help the Captain keep _The Marauders_ afloat. 

The men had been shocked when Captain Potter rejoined the crew at port with a woman in tow and this storm had only seemed to fuel their superstition of this voyage being cursed. First they lost Sirius to the Sirens, then the Captain lost his mind, and finally he was forcing them to sail back to the Sirens with this woman in tow...it did all seem a bit insane. But so had intentionally sailing into the Devil's Triangle. Or hunting for the sea dragons. Or sailing down to India to get a specific spice that James' mother was nostalgic for. Or any of the countless things that he and Sirius got up to with their crew.

Ridiculous is what they did, so James choked down a salty breath and squinted his eyes as he continued fighting against the gale. His spectacles were useless in a storm like this so they were tucked into a pocket and he prayed that he was making the right choices. Glancing back up at the blurry figure standing at the bow, James was certain that he was.

Minerva had seemed completely unbothered by the crew's fear of her joining them on this voyage and even when the storm started she seemed bored. Tonight she had stepped out of the Captain's quarters (where she had been staying) and strode to the front of the ship with steady legs and steel in her spine. She had been standing there all night, seemingly unaffected by the waves and the chill. He hoped that it was because she was a powerful witch and immune to the cold and that it wasn't because she had died and froze to the deck. 

That would be inconvenient.

"There's something moving this way, Captain!" Fabian shouted down from his precarious perch. "It looks big!"

"Something?! As in a fucking ship or a Leviathan?!!"

Another wave rolled over the ship, knocking James into the wheel and taking the breath right out of him. The storm would not give up and he was battered against the ship's wheel mercilessly for a few minutes before the entire ship lurched forward over the crest of a wave and they crashed down heavily. A crack echoed in James' ears and he wasn't sure if it was the mast finally giving up or if it was his skull shattering from an impact with the sturdy wood of the wheel. He struggled to get back to his feet and warmth spread down over his face. 

The coppery taste informed him that it was blood.

Arms wrapped around him as the twins tried to haul him onto his feet. Lightning screamed through the clouds again, lighting up the ocean and the deck completely and Captain Potter felt his heart flutter dangerously faint. A giant sea snake was looking over the bow at Minerva and a massive winged lion leapt down from the sky and onto the deck.

"What kind of witch did you bring with us?" Gideon gasped in fear, clinging more tightly to the Captain. 

James sunk to the slick wooden deck and felt his head spin incredulously. He was never going to get on board a ship after this mess.

*****

Remus looked down at the flushed Mortal, staring at those glistening rouge lips. It had been hours of kissing and even though his mouth physically ached from the exertion and his cheeks were burned within an inch of their life from the man's stubble, Remus was desperate to delve back in for more. Sirius looked just as star-struck as he felt, so Remus allowed himself some hope of coming out on the other side of this without a broken heart. Men didn't kiss you like this if they were planning to ruin you, did they?

Hands toughened from years of hard labor on the sea danced along his salty skin, not shying away from dipping into the deep scars. 

"Will you ever tell me about these?" Sirius asked softly. His voice was still a bit ragged, but Remus thought that it sounded just as alluring as ever. 

Could Mortals put others under a thrall?

"I have not spoken of them in so long that it feels almost wrong to bring them up right now."

His land-legs pushed forward, better to entwine with the Mortal's. It was warm and more comfortable than he would have expected considering how much sand was sticking to the both of them and how many scales littered his flesh. 

Wicked, wicked eyes glanced up at him in challenge before Sirius lifted his head off the shore to pepper soft kisses along the various marks. 

"There is nothing wrong about you, Remus," he whispered and the Dark Creature felt the tears welling in his eyes again. This was more affection than had been directed at him for so long and his whole being ached for it. 

"These are my punishment," he whispered back before dropping his mouth to the Mortal's again. "Because I failed. We all did."

There was a few quiet moments between them as their lips clung together and their noses nuzzled into each other's flesh.

"These scars are your badges of honor," Sirius finally muttered. "Honor for you still living, for your continued survival."

"Did I wait so long just to hear the sweet words of a Mortal?" 

"I can't sing for anything," Sirius admitted with a cheeky grin, "but I can sweet talk you just fine."

There was a crimson glow over everything from the sunlight and Remus tried to soak in the entire scene. Each day that came made him wonder if this would be the day that the other Mortal would come back. How many days could Sirius survive of this? Could he keep his sanity just with the promise of kisses?

"I can sing well enough for the both of us," he replied contentedly. "And if this curse ever gets broken I think that you'll be able to hear my true voice."

"Mmm, that sounds lovely." Sirius rubbed the Siren's scalp and looked quite pleased with himself at the quiet moan he received in response to the ministrations. "James will be here as soon as he can. You'll be as free as a bird soon enough."

The statement stung the Siren's heart more sharply than he anticipated and he felt a tear slip out. Sirius' eyes widened and he carefully picked up the perfect pearl that had landed on his chest. 

"You cry pearls?" he asked reverently.

"Our tears are precious," Remus admitted. "To all but our own."

Sirius looked up at the Siren and dropped the pearl into the sand beside them.

"Your smile is worth far more than any pearl, Remus."

"You foolish, foolish thing," Remus whispered before leaning down and taking those lips into his again. 

The warmth of the sun was fading as it set over the horizon. Their time was running out.

*****

"How are you feeling, Mortal?"

James blinked tiredly and winced at the light that was filtering through the cracks of the door. The otherwise dark room was still not enough to ease the pain of light in his eyes.

"Rather much like I've been beaten over the head with a few oars."

"Speak from experience?" There was laughter in Minerva's voice.

"I have, in fact, been hit over the head with an oar," he groaned while thinking of Sirius' shocked and concerned face. "In his defense, it was an accident."

"Ah. Your partner?"

"Yeah." He groaned again as he rolled over and dry heaved a bit. "Sirius."

Cool finger stroked back his unruly hair and he felt a calmness wash over him.

"Does this Sirius love you as much as you love him?"

"Yes," he rasped tiredly. 

"Would you still love him if he loved someone else?"

It was an odd question, James thought as he tried not to retch. Sirius had only ever really loved him before. There had been crushes, but no one had ever been remotely close to upending James' position in Sirius' life. Regulus was as close to that as anyone had ever gotten, but they were brothers and not particularly interested in an incestual relationship. As for romantic relationships, there had never been anyone that caught Sirius' eye enough that he was willing to fight for them, especially when there didn't seem to be anyone who was willing to accept the partnership between he and James as an on-going thing and not a phase. 

Besides, Sirius was currently out there and stuck with the Sirens. Who would he fall in love with out there? Or maybe the witch was seeing some kind of future? That if they saved Sirius now he'd finally find someone else that he also wanted to be with?

"I'll always love Sirius," he mumbled tiredly. "He's always loved me and I've always loved him. I don't think that anything can change that."

Not even the jealousy stirring in the pit of his stomach. If Sirius ever found someone else to add into his inner circle, James would be the life partner that he was supposed to be and greet them with open arms. 

"Your affection for him and belief in him is something odd," Minerva replied softly. "You desire nothing from this relationship but that it continues. Why is that?"

Why was she asking such hard questions at a time like this? His head was aching so badly and he just wanted to be with Sirius again. 

"Because we belong together. Why does it have to be any more complicated than that?"

"It doesn't," she replied in amusement. "It's just that you Mortals like to make things complicated."

"This Mortal would love for things to not be complicated for a few hours while I try to recover from getting my brains scrambled," he grumbled. 

"Sleep well," she soothed, brushing back his hair from the fevered and aching head. "We will be there soon. Get as much rest as you can, young Mortal."

"Why do you keep calling me Mortal?" he asked tiredly. "Aren't you a witch? Those are still Mortal."

She didn't bother to respond and just continued to stroke his hair back.

*****

"He's not looking so good," Lily whispered.

"How could this happen so quickly?" Remus asked nervously. "He was fine last night!"

"You mean when the two of you were eating each other's faces off?"

Remus glared at her. "Really? Is this the time for that?"

"Sorry."

The two Sirens looked down over the Mortal's unconscious body as it trembled with a cold sweat. He looked paler than he ever had and his skin felt clammy.

"Did he drink enough water? Is this a dehydration thing?"

They both stared down at him helplessly, not having been around living Mortals for such a long time that they didn't know what to think. All that they knew was that he wasn't looking very good and that Mortals tended to die when they weren't feeling good. 

"I'll go check the water," Lily offered quietly before rushing over to the water collecting contraption. There was a little bit in the cup so she brought it over and dipped her fingers in the liquid before rubbing it over the Mortal's mouth. "Here, I think that he needs to drink it slowly."

"But why is he sweating so much when he's cold?" Remus couldn't remember being so frightened since the early days of their punishment. "Lily, what are we going to do?"

"There's nothing that we _can_ do, Remus."

Remus' shaky fingers dipped into the cup and he carefully brushed the moisture along the slightly swollen lips. Sirius had fallen asleep in his arms last night, worn out but happy. This Sirius was breathing shakily and looked as close to Hades' door as a Mortal could get. There was a sharp ache in the Siren's chest and panic began to well up.

"He can't die! He just can't, Lily!"

Lily was looking far more alarmed now. "Remus! You've got to stop panicking!"

"B-but he could _die_!" 

A sharp slap echoed across the sandy shore. 

"Get a grip, Remus! You're about to cause you're own heart-break completely based on something that _might_ happen! That'll leave me and Mr. Mortal alone and you bloody well know that I'll drag him out to sea and drown him myself if you're not in the picture! Is that what you want?!"

Remus took a shuddering breath and tried to tamp down his emotion. She made a valid point.

"Okay, okay, I'm calming down." He took a few deep shuddering breaths. "Let's check him over for any damage."

It didn't take the two of them long to find a nasty cut on one of Sirius' feet. The skin around the cut was swollen and red with pale blood seeping out from the scab. There were crimson lines streaking away from the cut and up his foot towards his leg and Remus couldn't remember having ever seen such a thing on a Mortal.

"This has to be it," Lily muttered as she poked at the injury. 

Sirius moaned in pain and Remus moved up quickly to dab more water on his parched mouth. 

"There, that should be better," Remus soothed. " **Brightest shining star, that summons you to me~** "

He jerked in surprise as the compulsion forced the words up out of his throat.

" **The one who makes your whole heart sing~** " Lily added with her haunting voice, those green eyes looking out towards the horizon.

They had to go out to the sea, both being dragged out by forces beyond their powers. Remus looked over his shoulder desperately, seeing the young Mortal shuddering and breathing shallowly.

"It's the Mortal's friend!" Lily hissed between verses. "His deepest desire is making it back to Sirius!"

The two Sirens were looking at each other in a mix of fear and shock. The ship captain was actually back, like Sirius had always assured them! But they were singing of his desires and those were very strongly about Sirius. He was in love with the Mortal currently dying on the beach, and those were more than enough conflicting emotions. 

James loved Sirius whole-heartedly and was desperate to get back to him, but was that the same love that Sirius had for the Captain? Remus couldn't help but wonder if Sirius only kissed him on the beach out of loneliness for his true soul mate. Was he just something to pass the time until James came back and helped Sirius break another curse and complete another quest? Would he be left on his own while the two sailed away ready for another impossible task?

Maybe this James would kill him and Lily on sight since there was no Sirius with them. 

Swimming together silently save for the songs they were forced to sing, Lily and Remus took each other's hands and braced themselves for whatever the next few minutes held.


	6. Chapter 6

Red. 

James gripped the edge of the guardrail in a death grip, his head spinning not from the head trauma this time but because he could see two Dark Creatures swimming towards the ship. There was no Sirius in sight and the Mortal felt like the world was crashing down on him. He hated _them_ and what they had done to Sirius! Weren't they happy that someone was trying to help them break from their curse?

All he could see was the red haze of fury that knocked the breath right out of him. Fury at these damnable beasts and fury at himself for not getting here any sooner. Or better yet, never letting Sirius take that jump. 

He couldn't even hear their damning song with the sheer agony running through his veins in heavy pulses. 

A hand settled on his shoulder and James faded back into reality. Minerva was looking down at him over her pointy spectacles and the sharp frown tugging at her lips settled him down somewhat. It was the look that one of his old schoolteachers would always wear when she was trying hard not to laugh at one of the shenanigans he and Sirius would get up to. 

"I'll lower a boat," he rasped out, shaking all unnecessary thoughts from his head. "The ship won't make it through whatever death trap is set for us beyond the mist."

James threw a thumbs up to the nervous Prewett twins who were managing the helm. The entire crew was once more deaf to the Sirens thanks to the plugs of earwax but that didn't stop them from being nervous about what was going to happen. Fear of the witch was still prevalent, but there was also a kind of respect for her after the supernatural events she was involved in that ensured they all made it through the hurricane. Any witch that could commune with the gods and spare the lives of the crew was considered top-notch.

Sirius would love to hear about that heart-pounding episode. If he was still alive, that was. 

His shaking hands burned along the rope as James manhandled the small craft over the side of the ship and dropped it down into the choppy water. The rope ladder followed afterwards and soon James and Minerva were settled into the bowels of the lifeboat. It had been very tempting to bring along his pistols or at least a knife for good measure, but James worried that maybe a murderous intention would be picked up by the gods and all of his hard work in carrying out Sirius' request would be for naught. 

The two Sirens were looking nervously at each other, but they had stopped singing for some reason. Maybe because he was already on the boat? Minerva waved at them in annoyance to get a move on and soon the male Siren took a hold of the front of the boat and tugged them along into the mist. Just as James had suspected, there were sharp rocks and the corpse of a great reef hidden behind the mist. The Sirens were very careful in guiding the small vessel through the maze of danger, but even so James couldn't help but hold his breath. The waves were still rough and the Siren seemed to struggle to keep the lifeboat from dashing against the cruel rocks. 

After what seemed like a lifetime, they all broke out from the reef and glided along the smoother waves. There was a small seemingly deserted island not too far off and the Siren pulled them along quickly enough that Minerva stumbled back into James' arms. He braced himself against the back of the boat and felt the salty air whipping against his aching face. There was still a considerable bruise and gash on his forehead, but the pain was all but forgotten the moment he caught sight of the still figure lying on the sandy beach.

"Sirius!!!" he screamed in a desperate panic, trying to crawl past the older woman and to the front of the boat. 

James barely had enough sense of mind to avoid jumping into the water and swimming his way to his soul mate. The Siren was moving quickly enough and in just a few seconds he was launching himself out of the safety of the boat and onto the slushy sand. He sprinted up to the wheezing body and gathered Sirius up into his arms.

"Oh, love, what's happened to you?!" 

His shaking hand brushed the clammy forehead before he pressed a desperate kiss to it.

"We think his foot has something to do with it."

The young sailor swallowed thickly and looked over at the male Siren walking towards him. He would have been a lot more shocked by the pair of legs on the creature if his mind wasn't one-tracked on Sirius.

"His foot?" James adjusted Sirius in his arms and examined the foot carefully while Remus crouched next to them silently. His scarred hands were fidgeting in the sand nervously. "Fuck, it's badly infected. How long has he had this cut?"

Remus shrugged. "I'm sorry, we don't know."

James wanted to scream at this thing, to beat it over the head for its careless watch over his precious partner, but that wouldn't help the situation and he did still have a shred of sense about him. 

"It's okay, Sirius," he muttered, grinning painfully at the disoriented blinking from the ill man. 

"James?" Sirius groaned softly before his head fell limp again and his shallow breathing continuing on uninterrupted. 

"Please, Minerva," James called out as the older woman walked delicately along the gritty sand. "Can you help us quickly? Sirius isn't doing well and I need to get him out of here."

"This is your Sirius?" she asked calmly. 

"Yes, please help us!"

She turned her pinched expression to the two naked Sirens huddled together a few meters away from the Mortals and she rose an eyebrow.

"You are what's left of the Sirens?"

"Y-yes," Lily replied nervously. Her hands clung tightly to Remus' upper arm and he didn't even wince as her grip ripped a couple of scales out of his soft flesh. "What can we do for you, goddess?"

"There's nothing that you two can do for me," she tutted. "In fact, I probably wouldn't be bothered with you at all if it wasn't for this Mortal and his love for his friend. It's a funny thing when Mortals love each other so much and so purely."

Remus felt lightheaded and the pain burning in his chest was becoming almost unbearable. He gripped Lily's arms and she glanced over at him in concern.

"Hold on, Remus," she whispered.

"I..." The sudden thought floated through his mind. If he had to live a life without Sirius, even one free of the curse's bonds, he didn't want to. He didn't want to spend eons again, separate and lonely, above the others and never really tasting again this hunger. Was it even possible to ever fall in love like this again? Would he want to? "Please goddess, you are the one with Wisdom. You can see in my heart and through my foolishness."

"I can," she replied softly.

"Do you have answers for me?"

"I think that you need to find answers for yourself."

The sounds of crashing waves were interrupted by a too-polite clearing of a throat, and all heads turned to see the strangest sight coming their way. A short plump woman was making her way over to them in a strangely colored attire. Her snug dress was a pale pink, similar to the color inside a conch shell, and a darker hued pink shawl clung to her shoulders like moss on a tree. 

"Hello, Minerva," the woman greeted in a voice higher than any of the Mortals had ever heard from a living being. "Whatever could you possibly be doing on my island?"

James watched warily as the Sirens bowed and shuddered in fear of the small woman. She had a smile carved into her stony face, one that looked so foreign and repulsive in spite of its friendly upward curve. It all screamed dangerous to the experienced explorer. 

"Hello, Demeter. Still wearing pink?" Minerva's tone cracked as sharp as a whip. 

"It's the color of spring and life," Demeter quirked back, her smile stretched a little further while her eyes narrowed. "I see that you're in another dowdy body."

Clutching Sirius more tightly against his body, James felt his mouth drop as everything seemed to sink in. Minerva? Demeter? He was in the presence of goddesses! He had actually brought Sirius a goddess! Completely on accident! And fuck, they were getting into an argument!

"If you're here to stop me, Demeter, I'll kindly ask you to bugger off."

"Why, I'll have you know that it's my curse that you are inspiring to break," Demeter tutted, her frozen smile never budging. "And I can reject your involvement."

Minerva looked even more annoyed but she didn't show any signs of backing down. 

"Your child ran away from you, Demeter. Keep punishing yourself all you want but let these miserable creatures go."

That stony smile faltered a bit and there was a dangerous gleam in the pink goddess' eye. 

"You're overstepping your bounds again, Minerva. Being _his_ daughter does not give you free reign of the entire cosmos. I am older than you and have lived through far more than you have. You will not win this one."

"I do not have to win anything," Minerva snapped back as she took a solid step forward. 

"It would not be smart to challenge me," Demeter shot back angrily, no more pretense at smiling. 

James was terrified, his skin almost scalding with the waves of energy pressing out from the two goddesses and he couldn't even imagine what would happen to him and Sirius if they actually got into a full on battle. Battles between deities always resulted in cataclysmic events and being this close they were sure to be sent straight to the Hadean realm. 

Scarred arms wrapped around the two of them and James jerked in surprise to see the male Siren shielding them from the goddesses. Blood was already seeping out from the scars all over his body and yet he continued to shield them from whatever supernatural powers were roiling over nearby. Another set of arms came around them and James got an eyeful of a naked female Siren.

"This should protect you," the male gritted out as he shuddered in pain. 

"We've got you," the female added before whimpering softly. 

The scene that James caught sight of between the two Sirens was a blurred mess of bright lights and dark miasmas. He curled more tightly around the still clammy body of his partner and dug his bare feet into the shuddering sand in a feeble attempt to ground himself. It was one of the most terrifying moments of his entire life, the blood of mythical creatures soaking into his clothes and smearing across his dark skin. 

"R-remus?"

James looked down to see the dazed look on Sirius' face. 

"It's me, James," he tried to explain but the male Siren moved one of his hands to stroke Sirius' cheek.

"I'm here," Remus replied, his voice thick with emotion. "You'll be...safe."

James stared in shock between the two of them, Minerva's words coming back to slap him in the face. Sirius had fallen in love with a Siren? And so quickly?! 

But no sooner had the thought fluttered through his mind than James recalled his first meeting with Sirius at his 11th birthday party. They had both been privately tutored up to that point and not really allowed much in polite society because of their wild streaks, and that birthday party had been the first real exposure that they had with others their age. 

James had just escaped the crowds and was attempting to undo his neatly knotted tie behind a tree when he had heard a curious voice from overhead.

_"Have you ever made it to the top of this tree?"_

He had looked up in shock to see a slight boy fully attired in formal wear clinging to the branches precariously. The boy impishly blew his ebony bangs out of his face while trying to grip the branch more tightly. When James had responded that in fact he had not made it to the top the boy grinned down in challenge and bet that he could get to the top right now. Not wanting to lose face to this strange boy, James had declared that he could climb it right now and faster.

Their needing to be rescued from the unstable upper branches of the large tree only further served to solidify their camaraderie and it was over a slice of the birthday cake that Sirius had declared to every person in the vicinity that this James Fleamont Potter was his best friend for life. Looking at the way the two were staring at each other, James felt just as he had that day so many years ago. Shocked, a little confused, but also a sense of rightness. 

Sirius had always known what he wanted and was never uncertain in his decisions. He had accepted being disowned from the Black family in stride, never faltering in his decision to pirate and then later explore the sea with James. It was Sirius that had first admitted that James was his soul mate and life partner and never backed down from that declaration. 

"Remus," Sirius croaked again, struggling to sit up.

"Shush, this will be over soon," Remus groaned softly, the wind whipping sharply around them. Blood was rolling down his face from all the scars and dripping down onto the sickly Mortal.

Sirius still struggled to get further up so James did the only thing he could.

"Here, love, let me help."

With James supporting him, Sirius leaned up and took Remus' face in his hands before placing a desperate kiss to those lips. Looking away to give the two a semblance of privacy, James caught the eye of the female Siren. She threw him an exaggerated grimace and he couldn't help but snort in amusement. This had turned from one of the most frightening moments of his life into the strangest moments of his life. Propping his soul mate up so that he could kiss a Dark Creature while wrapped in the arms of a naked female Siren and making grossed out faces with her. Staring at her tits didn't exactly seem like the appropriate thing to do while she was shielding them from the overwhelming power of two battling goddesses, so he kept his eyes above her collarbones. 

A deafening roar nearly knocked all four of them over and a cracking sound shot towards them loud enough to rattle their bones. The ground beneath them trembled and the sand began sifting away as if being drained away. James prayed that his crew was out of the reach of this battle and that they were all safe. He glanced down at Sirius and felt a wave of peace wash over them. If this really was the end of the road for them, he was glad that they could walk towards that end together. Just as it was meant to be.

"I love you," he mouthed knowing that nothing could be heard over the ear-splitting noises.

"I love you," Sirius mouthed back at him.

*****

A calm breeze fluttered by, teasing at the newly replaced sails and tugging at the unruly mop of hair that James never bothered to try to tame.

"Is there anything else we can do for you, goddess?" he asked with a grin.

Minvera looked down her spectacles at the Mortal and allowed a fond grin tug at her lips. 

"Mr. Potter, you can avoid needing the aid of a deity in your future adventures."

"Absolutely!" he laughed while rubbing at the bandages over his face. "I'm not in any hurry to experience anything like that again."

"Good," she sniffed before turning on her heel and clacking down the gangplank. When she got to the bottom, she turned back and offered the Captain a fond smile. "I'll be seeing you around."

"See you later!" Sirius crowed while leaning over the railing and waving.

Remus appeared immediately and took a firm hold of the still weak Mortal.

"Fucking hell, Sirius!" he snapped. "Are you trying to throw yourself overboard?!!"

Sirius turned around in the bandaged arms and grinned crookedly. "I only do that for handsome Sirens."

The Dark Creature huffed in annoyance but couldn't help the amused smile that curled on his lips.

"You foolish thing," he muttered before pressing a chaste kiss to his romantic partner's lips.

"Maybe I should throw myself overboard so that I don't have to keep watching that," Lily sighed as she stepped alongside James. The shirt and trousers she had borrowed from James billowed loosely around her figure.

He offered her his most charming smile and winked. "Maybe we should give them a taste of their own medicine."

Green eyes rolled before settling an unamused look at the young adventurer. 

"Dream on, James."

"Hey, just a friendly offer," he replied smoothly before turning back towards the port with a relieved smile on his lips. 

There was the usual bustle of merchant ships coming into port and unloading their wares, fishermen bringing in their catch and setting up shop, and the hawking of all kinds of vendors. The salty sea air blew past them again, beckoning the sailors with her tempting breath, and the slow rock of _The Marauders_ on the waves filled him with an indescribable feeling of fullness. Here on this boat he had his brothers and now sister and the entire world was open for their exploration.

"Where to, Captain?" First Mate Black asked with a mischievous grin as he leaned heavily against Remus. 

They were all a bit worse for wear after the ordeal, but filled with a renewed sense of life. Nothing like a near-death experience to get you thankful for still being alive.

"Maybe it's time that we make our way to the Orient," he muttered in thought while scratching at his scruffy chin. "I hear there are dragons there that grant wishes."

"They'll only do that if you complete their challenges," Lily explained as she leaned back against the railing and shook out her crimson hair in the breeze.

"James, love, I have a feeling that we're going to have a lot more successes with our adventures from here on out," Sirius stated in glee as he smiled widely at Lily. 

"I think you're right," James laughed as he stepped further up the deck and glanced towards the horizon. 

There were definitely far more adventures in store for all of them and Captain Potter couldn't help but feel the swell of anticipation in his chest. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sirens were once creatures of the air, covered in feathers and with great sprouting wings. They had beautiful voices and were given the freedom to wander the earth in service as messengers and agents of the gods and goddesses. One day the young daughter goddess Persephone disappeared and her terrified mother sent out all the Sirens to find her and bring her home. 
> 
> By the time they found young Persephone, she had already eaten of the Pomegranate and was a bride to the Underworld's king. 
> 
> Demeter, full of rage and grief, cursed all the Sirens. She took their songs and twisted them to invitations of death and gave these creatures a fate that went beyond time itself. They would now only serve as agents of Death and continue sending souls down to Hades as they had left her daughter to that world.
> 
> Minerva, daughter of the King of the Universe and also known commonly by the Mortals as Athena, was a goddess of the arts as well as wisdom, trade, and defensive warfare. Her father heeds her council and has always shown her preference. He, as King of the Universe and all the beings enjoys taking the form of the regal lion.

**Author's Note:**

> @casualmaraudering, you're a saint. Just saying. 
> 
> I hope that you all enjoyed the story!


End file.
